A strict and no-nonsense Prime Minister would have sacked Abdul Rahman as Minister for his shockingly insensitive tweet about bomb explosion in Kuala Lumpur in an attempt to justify the monstrous and pernicious National Security Council Bill

A strict and no-nonsense Prime Minister would have sacked Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan as a Minister for his shockingly insensitive tweet about bomb explosion in Kuala Lumpur in an attempt to justify the monstrous and pernicious National Security Council (NSC) Bill.

Responding to tweets criticizing the NSC bill, which was passed “like a thief at night” at the late-night session last Thursday on Dec 3, the final day of the 25-day budget parliamentary meeting, and which conferred on the Prime Minister such absolute executive powers as to usurp the constitutional prerogative of the Yang di Pertuan Agong to declare an emergency under Article 150 of the Malaysian Constitution, as well as to oust the powers of the Cabinet and to undermine the autonomy powers of Sarawak and Sabah, Rahman had tweeted:

“If a bomb exploded in KL then perhaps you guys would have a different view. But sadly that would be too late.”

Rahman’s tweet is not only frighteningly insensitive but also outrageously illogical.

Firstly, the NSC bill confers wide and untrammelled powers on the Prime Minister and the National Security Council headed by him not only to deal with extraordinary situations arising from a bomb blast, but also in more mundane circumstances having bearing on “political stability, economic stability, national unity”.

How does Rahman’s “bomb explosion” argument apply in these cases?

Secondly, even in extraordinary situations such as those arising from a bomb blast, if ordinary police and security forces are incapable to deal with the exigencies of the situation because of a sustained or wide area of violent unrest, Article 150 on the proclamation of emergency by the Yang di Pertuan Agong can be invoked if “the security, economic life or public order in the Federation or any part thereof” is threatened.

Why should there be a new law in the form of the National Security Council Act which usurps the powers of the Yang di Pertuan Agong and the Cabinet in such circumstances.

Lastly but not the least, the cynical and sadistic attitude exhibited by a Cabinet Minister in justifying such a monstrous and pernicious law is most insensitive, deplorable and reprehensible, as if Rahman would not mind seeing bomb blast in Kuala Lumpur when all Malaysians must be united in ensuring that peace and harmony prevail throughout the country, and that there should be no bomb explosion whether in Kuala Lumpur or any other part of the country.

Rahman should apologise for such an insensitive and outrageous tweet, which is most unbecoming for a Minister.